Thermal cell system for measuring acceleration

ABSTRACT

The acceleration measurement system comprises a first thermal cell optimized in sensitivity and a second thermal cell optimized in passband, which cells are connected to inputs of a servo-control loop including an amplifier presenting gain that varies as a function of input signal frequency.

The present invention relates to a thermal cell system for measuring acceleration.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,034 in particular discloses a thermal accelerometer comprising a gas-filled enclosure in which there are located a central heater strand with detector strands extending on either side thereof and presenting resistivity that is temperature-sensitive. The detector strands are mounted in a Wheatstone bridge together with unchanging resistances. The Wheatstone bridge is connected to a measurement circuit that delivers an electrical signal representative of a temperature difference between the detector strands. The temperature difference is itself representative of the acceleration to which the accelerometer is subjected.

The measurement characteristics of accelerometers of that type depend in particular on the nature of the gas used for filling the enclosure. In particular, a thermal accelerometer having an enclosure filled with a heavy gas presents high sensitivity but a narrow passband (typically 10 hertz (Hz)), whereas a thermal accelerometer in which the enclosure is filled with a light gas presents much lower sensitivity, but presents a passband that is much wider (typically 100 Hz).

In present measurement systems, it is therefore necessary to achieve a compromise between the sensitivity and the passband of the accelerometer used.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a thermal cell acceleration measurement system presenting both good sensitivity and a wide passband.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides an acceleration measurement system comprising two thermal cells having differing measurement characteristics and connected to deliver input signals to a servo-control loop comprising an amplifier with gain that is variable as a function of input signal frequency.

Preferably, the acceleration measurement system comprises a first cell that is optimized in sensitivity and connected to a positive input of a subtracter upstream from the amplifier, and a second cell that is optimized in passband and that is connected to an adder downstream from the amplifier.

Thus, the error that results from the inaccuracy at a high frequency of the sensitivity-optimized cell is corrected by the signal coming from the cell with a wide passband, whereas at low frequency the error of the passband-optimized signal is corrected by the sensitivity-optimized signal so that the signal obtained from the output of the servo-control loop is a signal that is optimized both in sensitivity and in passband.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention appear on reading the following description of a particular, non-limiting embodiment of the invention given with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the measurement system of the invention; and

FIG. 2 is a plot of a preferred gain curve for implementing the measurement system of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG. 1, the acceleration measurement system of the invention comprises a first cell C1 that is optimized in sensitivity, e.g. a cell having an enclosure filled with carbon dioxide gas so that the cell presents high sensitivity but a passband that is limited to 10 Hz, and a second cell C2 that is optimized in passband, e.g. a cell in which the enclosure is filled with helium and for which the passband reaches a frequency of 100 Hz. The first cell C1 delivers a measurement signal that is applied to the positive input of a subtracter 1 whose output is connected to an amplifier 2 presenting gain G that varies as a function of input signal frequency F. The output from the amplifier 2 is connected to one of the inputs of an adder 3 whose other input receives the measurement signal delivered by the second cell C2. The output from the adder 3 is connected to the negative input of the subtracter 1 so as to form a servo-control loop that delivers an output signal S.

FIG. 2 plots the gain of the amplifier 2 as a function of input signal frequency, using a graph with logarithmic scales, the gain G preferably being linear with a slope of −1 for frequencies greater than 1 Hz and a slope of −2 for frequencies less than 1 Hz in order to minimize zero error for low frequencies. For good stability of the servo-control loop, the gain also has a value of 1 at a frequency of 10 Hz, which is equal to the maximum frequency of the sensitivity-optimized first cell C1.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment described and variant embodiments can be provided without going beyond the ambit of the invention as defined by the claims. In particular, although the acceleration measurement system is shown as having only two cells, it is possible to provide a measurement system having cells that are optimized for characteristics other than those described and to perform a cascade of servo-control operations as a function of the performance desired for the system. It is also possible to use a plurality of identical servo-control loops in order to provide measurement redundancy, in particular for guided weapons that are stored over long periods of time and then used without the acceleration measurement system being subjected to thorough testing.

Although the invention is described with reference to an amplifier presenting linear variable gain, it is possible to use an amplifier in which the gain is not linear, however the gain should nevertheless preferably be generally decreasing as a function of increasing input signal frequency. 

1. An acceleration measurement system comprising two thermal cells having differing measurement characteristics and connected to deliver input signals to a servo-control loop comprising an amplifier with gain that is variable as a function of input signal frequency.
 2. An acceleration measurement system according to claim 1, comprising a first cell optimized in sensitivity and a second cell optimized in passband.
 3. An acceleration measurement system according to claim 1, wherein the gain decreases as a function of input signal frequency.
 4. An acceleration measurement system according to claim 2, wherein the gain decreases as a function of input signal frequency, and wherein the gain has a value of 1 for a maximum frequency of the sensitivity-optimized cell.
 5. An acceleration measurement system according to claim 2, wherein the gain is linear with a slope of −1 for frequencies greater than 1 Hz.
 6. An acceleration measurement system according to claim 5, wherein the slope is −2 for a frequency less than 1 Hz.
 7. An acceleration measurement system according to claim 2, wherein the sensitivity-optimized cell is connected to a positive input of a subtracter upstream from the amplifier, and the passband-optimized cell is connected to an adder downstream from the amplifier. 